Women in the Freshman Class of the Virginia Legislature

The Virginia House of Delegates seated a record number of women in January, and those women aren't messing around. We attended The Blue Victory Dinner in Arlington, Virginia and spoke to some of them about their successful campaigns and the importance of women in political leadership. 

Thanks to our sponsors: SmartNews and Brandless.

The Delegates:

Jennifer Carroll Foy, 2nd district: A public defender, Jennifer is a graduate of the third class of female cadets to ever attend the Virginia Military Institute. She has a masters from VSU, a JD from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law, and twin boys, to whom she gave birth while on the campaign trail.

Wendy Gooditis, 10th district: An educator and local business operator, Wendy co-founded the Clarke County chapter of Indivisible following the November 2016 election. Her successful 2017 run was her first electoral campaign, which focused on education, jobs, health and the environment.

Danica Roem, 13th District: An award-winning journalist and Manassas native, Danica is the first transgender politician to be elected to Virginia's General Assembly. She out-raised her Republican opponent--a 25-year incumbent --by 5 to 1 with a campaign focused on economic and transportation issues.

Elizabeth Guzman, 31st district: A Peruvian-American public administrator and social worker, Elizabeth came to the United States as a single mom looking for a better future for her eldest child. She delivered the Spanish response to the 2018 State of the Union address at the invitation of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Kathy Tran, 42nd district: Kathy is the first Vietnamese-American to be elected to the General Assembly and a former federal government employee. She came to the United States as a refugee and has spent her career advocating for workers, working families, and immigrants.

Hala Ayala, 51st district: A public servant and cyber security expert, Hala is one of the first Latinas to be elected to the General Assembly. A former vice president of the National Organization of Women (Virginia chapter), Hala has also served on former Governor McAuliffe's Council of Women and is an advocate for women and families.

Karrie Delaney, 67th district: A long-time local civic leader, counselor for sexual assault survivors, and advocate against human trafficking, Karrie beat a four-term Republican incumbent with a campaign focused on economic growth & innovation, education and health care.

Be sure to visit our website for photos from the event and our Patreon page to support the show and access bonus content. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.